Car Manufacturers Know How to Prevent Fuel Fed Fires

Despite years of preparation and careful design, motor vehicle accidents
often result in fuel fed fires caused by defective fuel systems that fail
to contain the fuel during a collision.

Automobile manufacturers should design fuel systems to maintain their integrity
during reasonably foreseeable accidents so that occupants do not lose
their lives in otherwise survivable-accidents. Yet, vehicles are constantly
being recalled for reasons the industry already knew about. One of the
most common known risks of fuel fed fires is tank location. Just recently
the United States government asked Chrysler to recall nearly 3 million
Jeeps due to known fire risks. The risk was a result of fuel tank positioning
behind the rear axle; a terrible and negligent design concept with no
justification.

Vehicle manufacturers are again under scrutiny as a result of long term
knowledge regarding tank positioning behind the rear axle as a cause of
concern. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has correlated
51 deaths as a result of fires caused by gas leaking from punctured gas
tanks in rear end crashes. Prior to the 1970's fuel tanks in most
cars were positioned behind the rear axle. Then in 1978 Ford recalled
1.5 million vehicles for rear axle fuel tank positioning, and Chrysler
in drafted an internal memo regarding the concerns of tank positioning
and future placement of fuel tanks in their vehicles. Finally, a 1993
study of fire related deaths from '77 to '89 concluded that relocating
tanks had a substantial effect on the reduction of fire deaths. Bearing
all this in mind, Chrysler still willingly placed a car into commerce
with faulty fuel tank placement behind the rear axle. This calls into
question the integrity and reliability of the manufacturers.

It is not always location that causes fuel fed fires. Design defects related
to fuel fed fires can involve several different vehicle systems. Other
design issues include: fuel filler cap design, fuel line design, fuel
tank design, and fuel pump design. There are certain design criteria known
to manufacturers for years that in essence would make for optimal fuel
tank safety. The criteria include:

Tanks should be located away from the crash zones and not placed behind
the rear axle

Tanks should be situated over the car's rear axle and within the vehicle's
protective frame

The tanks should be kept away from protruding objects that could puncture them

Tanks should have shields on them to protect them from such objects

Tank filler necks should be configured and constructed so they won't
rupture or break away from the tank in a crash; and

Safety "check valves" should be installed that prevent gasoline
from siphoning out of the fuel tanks after a crash.

Despite this knowledge Manufacturers don't always follow the guidelines
and many do not provide the proper structural protection for the tanks.
These manufacturer failures often lead to fuel fed fires that seemingly
can be avoided. If you or someone you know has been injured as a result
of a fuel fed fire, please contact our firm. We have vast experience dealing
with automobile product liability cases.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

x

⚠

Your browser is out of date. To get the full experience of this website,
please update to most recent version.